Fact Check: Did Trump sign an order to rename Cornell University to 'Trump Cornell University'?
WASHINGTON, DC: As the Cornell University assault case is being reopened for investigation, a claim began circulating online claiming that President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to rename the university to ‘Trump Cornell University.’ The claim has triggered criticism and speculation, prompting a fact-check of the rumor.
Claim: Donald Trump renamed Cornell University to ‘Trump Cornell University’
According to a post that appeared on X, Trump signed an executive order renaming Cornell University “Trump Cornell University.”
The claim resembles the Trump administration’s recent geographic renaming spree amid the tensions between the United States and Canada over tariffs.
The name changes include the signing of an executive order directing the federal government to use “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico” and renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America.”
He also suggested renaming the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The claim drew mostly criticism from online users, suggesting that they believed the claim to be true, while a few others questioned the claim’s authenticity.
Fact Check: Donald Trump signed no such orders
However, the claim is rated as false, as there are no reports of the president signing an executive order to rename the university.
There are no official announcements, statements, social media posts, or press releases from the president or the White House about signing an executive order to rename the university.
If Trump had really signed such an executive order, it would not go unreported by credible news media outlets, but a search on Google for the claim yielded no such reports except for the social media posts that shared the claim.
Moreover, the claim was posted by an X account called ‘Hoodlum,’ which describes itself in the bio as ‘satire.’
Donald Trump slams Letitia James over Cornell case probe
The claim surfaced as the Cornell University assault case is being reopened for investigation, after New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as the special prosecutor of the probe.
Trump on Friday decried Hochul’s decision to have James, whom he claimed was “corrupt”, oversee the “highly controversial” case.
“Letitia James is a corrupt person,” Trump told reporters. “She’s totally corrupt, and I can’t imagine it. And I feel badly for whoever she’s looking at because they won’t get a fair shake. Letitia James is a corrupt person.”
Trump’s conflict with James stems from a long-running legal battle involving a 2022 civil fraud lawsuit against Trump and his real estate business, which resulted in a massive financial penalty.
